This summer, Dave Chappelle returned to the stage for an ambitious, monthlong residency at Radio City Music Hall in New York. We saw the show independently, on separate nights. What we witnessed inspired us to dedicate an entire episode to the legacy of Chappelle’s comedy as he works to re-establish his place in American culture. But much has shifted in the decade since Chappelle, through his much-loved TV show, “Chappelle’s Show,” brilliantly explored how black people are represented and misrepresented: Nowadays, he’s no longer interested in speaking on behalf of anyone else. We consider his past to consider where he might be headed and whether we still need comedians — and comedy, for that matter — to help us make sense of the present.
